Mondo is the premiere vinyl soundtrack record label and destination for all sorts of palette-expanding music. Pretty sure that no matter what your appetite is, they’ve got something to whet (and satisfy) it. Case in point. How many times have you asked yourself, “why aren’t there more blaxploitation revival albums out there?” The short answer is that there are. And thanks to these purveyors of acoustic awesomeness, you can easily get your hands on it. Luckily, they didn’t have to dig through obscure catalogs to unearth this glorious title; you can thank Eddie Murphy and Netflix for giving the gift of Dolemite Is My Name to the world just last year. A pet project…
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Music Review…Mondo’s Stellar Release of Justin Hurwitz’s ‘First Man’ Score
In the span of just three scores, composer Justin Hurwitz has taken tremendous steps forward covering new ground in his musical career. The soundtrack to Damien Chazelle‘s First Man is tailored specifically to the film, but not necessarily the literal narrative beats. The film follows Neil Armstrong, and as such, it’s less about NASA as an organization and more about the titular “first man.” We get to witness all the mental, physical, psychological and spiritual tests that lead to his historic steps on the Moon. The film opens on a period in Armstong’s life that doesn’t really define or explain his demeanor and drive, but it sure focuses it. Some of the…
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Interview…Brian McNelis Discusses Vinyl Releases at Lakeshore Records and Experiences in the Music Industry
Thanks largely to a trip to Record Store Day in 2014, I have become an increasing fan of soundtrack releases on vinyl…and I’ve never looked back. You may have your own go-to retailers, and while a significant portion of my collection is comprised of Mondo titles, Lakeshore Records (the independent music division of Lakeshore Entertainment) remains a notable force that issues some of the most vibrant, stunning, and downright bad-ass releases you’ve ever seen. We spoke to the company’s Senior Vice President of Music and Soundtracks, Brian McNelis, about his day-to-day with Lakeshore. As you might expect, after scanning through the hefty number of releases on the Lakeshore Records website,…
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Music Review…Mondo Goes the Distance with Limited Edition ‘Creed’ 2XLP
There is a well-known proverb that states, “In the warrior’s code, there’s no surrender.” Is that aged wisdom from hundreds of years ago? Not at all. That’s from Rocky IV, and it’s worth noting that film marked the first time in the Rocky saga that a torch was passed to a new composer. The film was an entirely macho and pugilistic allegory of Cold War tensions, sure, but it was also pretty awesome from a musical sense, both score and song. Picking up on that departure, Ryan Coogler’s Creed is a fantastic step forward in the saga while also serving as a quasi-remake of the iconic 1976 property. The series may…
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Exclusive: Mo Shafeek Shares Stories as Mondo’s Record Label Production Manager
Mondo employees are a rare breed of cinephiles and artisans – chalk it up mostly to each of them having seen certain films way too early in their lifetime. Having watched those titles countless times, movies are not just a means of entertainment, they are part of their DNA. Who else could make/understand a “little too Raph” joke on a daily basis without missing a beat? In short, certain films defined their tastes for years to come. One such individual is Mo Shafeek. We got to speak to him for over an hour regarding his role as Mondo’s soundtrack production manager. Based in Austin, TX, the Mondo bunch (Mo included),…
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Interview…Richard Kaufman on John Williams and Being A Session Musician on ‘Jaws’
Richard Kaufman is, and has been, a good friend of the site. Thanks to our contacts at the Dallas Symphony, we always get to catch up with him when he’s in town for a show as their Pops conductor laureate. Richard has had an amazing career being a session musician (violin) on many classic film scores as well as being MGM’s Music Supervisor for 19 years. He’s seen incredible things behind the gates of major Hollywood studios. You’ve seen those Dos XX commercials with “the Most Interesting Man in the World” right? Well, it should actually be Richard they’re talking about. Seriously, name any filmic presonality and Richard either knows them,…
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CONTEST CLOSED – Win A Copy of the ‘Sin City: A Dame to Kill For’ Soundtrack Autographed by Composer Carl Thiel
Attention: CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. All winners have been notified. Thanks for your interest in Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. ——————————————————————————————————————————— This week, Sin City: A Dame To Kill For was released on Blu-Ray and this follow-up to Robert Rodriguez’s noir-fueled 2005 film is full of even more hard-edged and unsavory characters…and a whole lotta Eva Green, that’s for sure! But this grungy world wouldn’t have half of its gritty and slightly off-putting charm without the driving soundtrack to compliment the insane action and ultra violence. Earlier this year we again spoke with composer Carl Thiel about his musical contributions to the Double R universe. Along with insights about the…
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Hans Zimmer's 'Man of Steel' Soundtrack Gets a Two-Disc Special Edition
Even though June 14th is so close we can almost touch it, we’re still going to have to wait just about three weeks before we get to see Zack Snyder’s Superman reboot blaze across the screen. From the trailers and marketing campaign to the actors and the creative team, there’s really nothing about this production that doesn’t scream epic blockbuster hit. Yet as much as we’re ready to be blown away by the visual marvels Snyder will unleash, we at GST are even more pumped to hear the sound that Hans Zimmer brings to the film. As of right now Zimmer’s score will be released on Tuesday June 11th and…
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Ohhh, Listen…First M83 Track Released From The 'Oblivion' Score
At G-S-T we’ve become increasingly fond of the group M83. It’s not hard once you listen to a few tracks since they have such a distinct and infectious sound. When Joseph Kosinski began work on his second film after the TRON: Legacy many wondered if Daft Punk would return to knock another score out of the park. Well Kosinski enlisted the above mentioned French group to score the film and that only made the production of Oblivion that much more appealing. Recently the first track from the score, titled “StarWaves” was released (thanks to Rolling Stone for the heads up) and it sounds goooood! Have a listen and enjoy the epic…
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Soundworks Collection Profile: Michael Giacchino
Now that the announcement and full teaser trailer for Star Trek Into Darkness have been released, lots of questions have been raised about J.J. Abrams’ sequel. Questions like who is Benedict Cumberbatch‘s character John Harrison? and recently “Are You the 1701?“. But no question is more important to us film score geeks at G-S-T than “What will Michael Giacchino bring to the table for the next Star Trek film?“. Granted Michael already provided the score for the 9-minute prologue (which plays before The Hobbit), but even he admits that that theme may in fact change for the final product. Why? Well because J.J. and the team at Bad Robot are deep in post-production…
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Ohhh, Listen…Preview Thomas Newman’s Score From ‘Skyfall’
On October 5th fans around the globe celebrated the 50th anniversary of everyone’s favorite secret agent. Like a steam roller, Bond 23 has been pushing toward its November 9th release date. From an Oscar-winning director (and his video blogs), to a simply top drawer cast, to Adele’s sensationally Bond-esqe title song, it looks like Skyfall and will live up to the hype. Well as fans of films scores we at G-S-T were over the moon to find out that Thomas Newman would be lending his talents to the 007 franchise. As regular composer David Arnold had to bow out to help work on the 2012 Olympics, we’re excited to see what Newman will bring to the table.…
